English as a Second Language Podcast

If you can’t read this, then put on your glasses and listen to this episode on having bad eyes.

Slow dialogue: 1:07

Explanations: 2:45

Fast dialogue: 15:19

Sue: This medication I’m taking is messing with my vision. Everything is blurry.

Hamed: That’s a good reason for you to stay home from work today.

Sue: I can’t. I have to give a presentation this afternoon and I can’t flake out on my coworkers.

Hamed: What good are you to them if you’re blind as a bat?

Sue: Everybody else will have crystal clear vision, so all I have to do is to put in an appearance. Things may not be as sharp as I’d like them to be, but I can still make out people and objects – as long as they’re really big.

Hamed: I don’t think your coworkers are going to want you to blindside them today with your strange behavior. You’re going to do more harm than good.

Sue: I can see well enough. I only see double if I move my head like this. Whoa…

Hamed: At this point, I don’t care if you have X-ray vision. That medication is affecting more than your vision. It’s impairing your better judgment!

I just finished a huge project at work and I needed some down time. I decided to take a short vacation. I liked the idea of a long weekend out of town. My friend Sara offered to let me crash at her place in San Francisco, but I decided to stay at a hotel instead. Sara has a couple of roommates and I thought it might be too crowded.

I called the toll- free reservation number for a major hotel chain. The reservation agent was very helpful, after I got through the long phone tree.

Agent: Dutton Hotels. How may I help you today?

Jeff: I wanted to check rates and availability for your San Francisco location.

Agent: Certainly, I can help you with that. Will that be the downtown or waterfront location?

Jeff: The waterfront location.

Agent: What date do you plan to check in?

Jeff: I'd like to check in on October 12th and check out the 15th.

Agent: Okay, let me see what we have. For how many?

Jeff: One. And, if possible, I'm looking for a non-smoking room.

Agent: Sure, we have a non-smoking queen with an ocean view for $189 or a standard room with a courtyard view for $139 a night.

Jeff: I'd like to book the standard room.

Agent: Okay, your last name?

Jeff: Rama.

Agent: And, your first name?

Jeff: It's Jeff.

Agent: Okay, I have you booked in a standard non-smoking queen, checking in on October 12th and departing the 15th. What major credit card would you like to use to guarantee the reservation?

Jeff: A Visa.

Agent: The number and expiration?

Jeff: It's 7388- 2424-3535- 1818 and the expiration is 05/08.

Agent: Your confirmation number is PD672. Is there anything else I help you with?

Topics: Famous Americans – Charles Schultz and Peanuts; The Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve; to be pleased to versus to be happy to versus it’s (one’s) pleasure to; to sit versus to seat; willy-nilly

If you can’t read this, then put on your glasses and listen to this episode on having bad eyes.

Slow dialogue: 1:07

Explanations: 2:45

Fast dialogue: 15:19

Sue: This medication I’m taking is messing with my vision. Everything is blurry.

Hamed: That’s a good reason for you to stay home from work today.

Sue: I can’t. I have to give a presentation this afternoon and I can’t flake out on my coworkers.

Hamed: What good are you to them if you’re blind as a bat?

Sue: Everybody else will have crystal clear vision, so all I have to do is to put in an appearance. Things may not be as sharp as I’d like them to be, but I can still make out people and objects – as long as they’re really big.

Hamed: I don’t think your coworkers are going to want you to blindside them today with your strange behavior. You’re going to do more harm than good.

Sue: I can see well enough. I only see double if I move my head like this. Whoa . . .

Hamed: At this point, I don’t care if you have X-ray vision. That medication is affecting more than your vision. It’s impairing your better judgment!

I just finished a huge project at work and I needed some down time. I decided to take a short vacation. I liked the idea of a long weekend out of town. My friend Sara offered to let me crash at her place in San Francisco, but I decided to stay at a hotel instead. Sara has a couple of roommates and I thought it might be too crowded.

I called the toll- free reservation number for a major hotel chain. The reservation agent was very helpful, after I got through the long phone tree.

Agent: Dutton Hotels. How may I help you today?

Jeff: I wanted to check rates and availability for your San Francisco location.

Agent: Certainly, I can help you with that. Will that be the downtown or waterfront location?

Jeff: The waterfront location.

Agent: What date do you plan to check in?

Jeff: I'd like to check in on October 12th and check out the 15th.

Agent: Okay, let me see what we have. For how many?

Jeff: One. And, if possible, I'm looking for a non-smoking room.

Agent: Sure, we have a non-smoking queen with an ocean view for $189 or a standard room with a courtyard view for $139 a night.

Jeff: I'd like to book the standard room.

Agent: Okay, your last name?

Jeff: Rama.

Agent: And, your first name?

Jeff: It's Jeff.

Agent: Okay, I have you booked in a standard non-smoking queen, checking in on October 12th and departing the 15th. What major credit card would you like to use to guarantee the reservation?

Jeff: A Visa.

Agent: The number and expiration?

Jeff: It's 7388- 2424-3535- 1818 and the expiration is 05/08.

Agent: Your confirmation number is PD672. Is there anything else I help you with?